David Smith (Bean, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to be able to bring the words of a young constituent to the attention of the House. Sofea is 12 years old, and, through the Raise Our Voice initiative, submitted this excellent speech on a critical issue. Here is Sofea's speech:

To build a better tomorrow for young Australians, the government must take urgent and meaningful action to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans.

Each year, vast amounts of plastic enter the sea, causing severe harm to marine life such as turtles, dolphins and seabirds. This is not simply an environmental concern, it is a growing crisis that threatens biodiversity, food security, and the health of our planet.

My name is Sofea. I am 12 years old, and I'm a student at Charles Weston School Coombs. I'm passionate about protecting ocean environments and speaking up for the animals who cannot speak for themselves.

I respectfully urge the government to implement a ban on single-use plastics, support innovation in sustainable packaging, and improve public access to recycling. Education is also vital, young Australians should be taught the importance of ocean conservation and the long-term impact of plastic waste. The ocean sustains life on Earth. It provides oxygen, regulates our climate, and supports countless species.

The action we take today will shape the kind of Australia we grow up in.

I believe we all deserve a cleaner, safer, and more responsible future, especially … the sea creatures who depend on us.

Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As part of our Raise Our Voice campaign, I'm proud to share the words of Wiremu from Proserpine State High School. He states:

Education should be a doorway—a way forward for every young person in this country.

But for students in regional communities, that door often feels locked.

Each day we wake up before sunrise, travelling for hours to reach school.

Every wet season, flooded roads block our way and we wait to hear if school will even open.

The constant uncertainty, that our education depends on things outside of our control is a barrier to our futures.

Many of us study without the subjects that city students take for granted—ancient history, languages, physics—because there aren't enough teachers.

Some of us study alone, online, without the support that face-to-face learning brings.

It's isolating.

It's frustrating.

And it chips away at our confidence and our dreams.

Unfortunately, we don't have multi-million-dollar research centres, nor do we have access to world-class tutors.

What we do have is determination—a will, to extend beyond our boundaries and defy limitations.

But we can't do that alone.

We are grateful to live where we live.

But gratitude shouldn't equate to limitation.

It's time to open the doors to equal education … because a nation that abandons its youth abandons its future.

Wise words, Wiremu.